If you’ve spent time in Brussels or Wallonia, chances are you’ve come across the word “carabistouille.”
It’s one of those wonderfully playful Belgian French expressions that defies a neat translation into English. At its core, it means nonsense, tall tales, or made-up stories — the kind of thing you might say when someone is clearly exaggerating or bending the truth.
The charm of carabistouille lies in its sound as much as its meaning. The word feels a little silly on the tongue, almost like it’s poking fun at the idea it’s describing.
Imagine someone trying to explain why they were late with an overly dramatic, unbelievable story. You could roll your eyes and dismiss it with: “Arrête tes carabistouilles!” (“Stop your nonsense!”).
In everyday Belgian French, it’s used in a light-hearted, humorous way rather than harshly. It’s less an insult and more a wink, a way of saying, “I don’t buy that for a second, but nice try.”
Words like carabistouille capture the humour and inventiveness of Belgian French, where colourful expressions brighten up ordinary conversations. Next time you hear something too good (or too strange) to be true, you’ll know the perfect Belgian word for it.
See all our previous ‘Belgian word of the day’ features here.
